Boston Bruins (34-18-5) vs Chicago Blackhawks (21-29-8)
Game Info: Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 7:00 pm (TD Garden)
Betting Odds: Boston Bruins -225 / Chicago Blackhawks +170 --- Over/Under: 6.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks in Thursday NHL Action
The Chicago Blackhawks come into this road contest with an overall record of 21-29-8. Through 58 games, the Blackhawks are 7th in the Central Division. On the season, they have found the net 152 times, good for a rank of 25th among NHL teams. Heading into the game, Chicago is the 25th ranked defensive team, allowing opponents to score at an average rate of 3.43 goals per game.
So far, the Blackhawks have a strength of schedule rating of 2nd in the league. When diving into their opponent-adjusted scoring margin, they come into this game as the 26th ranked team in the NHL. The Boston Bruins get set to host the Chicago Blackhawks with an overall record of 34-18-5. This mark places them 4th in the Atlantic division. Through 57 games, the Bruins have scored 173 goals, giving them an average of 3.0. This output gives them a rank of 18th among NHL teams. On defense, Boston is the 5th ranked unit, giving up 2.68 goals per contest. So far, the Bruins have played the 24th toughest schedule in the league. And, when taking into account Boston's scoring margin relative to the quality of their competition, they come in with a power ranking of 14th in the NHL.
Through 58 games, the Chicago Blackhawks' leading goal scorer is Alex DeBrincat. With his 20 assists, he is the second in overall points, coming in at 53. On the season, he is turning 17.6% of his shots into goals. In addition, the Blackhawks have benefited from the strong play of Patrick Kane, who is the team's overall leader in points. In Chicago's 58 games, he has come up with 19 goals on a shooting percentage of 9.3%. However, when on the ice, the Blackhawks are -14 in scoring differential.
Through 57 games, the Boston Bruins' goal and overall scoring leader is David Pastrnak, with 57 points. He has reached his mark of 31 goals, on a shooting percentage of 12.6%. So far, 39.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Brad Marchand, who has 33 assists to go along with his 23 goals. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus-minus rating of +6. Boston's top goalie is Linus Ullmark, who is giving up an average of 2.81 goals per game. In his 29 games played, he has come up with a quality start just 43 percent of the time.
In Chicago's 58 games, the over has hit in over half of their games, going 27-27-4. So far, taking the over when the Blackhawks are playing away from home has been a good bet with an over-under record of 14-12-2. On the season, 57.0% of Chicago's games have gone for at least 6 goals or more, with 42.0% of the scoring coming from the Blackhawks. In Boston's 57 games, the over has hit in over half of their games, going 28-27-2. So far, taking the over when the Bruins are playing at home has been a good bet with an over-under record of 13-13-2. On the season, 53.0% of Boston's games have gone for at least 6 goals or more, with 55% of the scoring coming from the Bruins. With a line set at 6.5 goals, look for Chicago and Boston to fall below that line as I don't see Chicago scoring enough to help push the total over the betting line.
Joe’s Pick Under 6.5 Goals
AUTHOR: Joe Kiemen
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